February 2026
Addiction
What February 2026's 7 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Addiction research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 6 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Addiction, substance use disorder, dependence, alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, then ranked by relevance.
Research in February 2026 indicates that psychedelic compounds like ketamine, ibogaine, and psilocybin show promise for treating substance use disorders, but evidence is mixed and often preliminary. Ketamine's effects on alcohol use disorder do not appear to be mediated by its acute psychoactive effects, while ibogaine's clinical translation is constrained by safety concerns and fragmented evidence. A major caveat is that much of the evidence comes from reviews and secondary analyses, with limited large-scale, controlled trials.
Confidence in the evidence
Low-Moderate- The evidence base consists primarily of reviews and secondary analyses rather than new primary trials.
- Sample sizes are not reported in most studies, limiting assessment of statistical power.
- Findings are mixed: ketamine shows no mediation by psychoactive effects, while ibogaine and psilocybin show promise but with significant caveats.
- One study is a case report, which provides low-quality evidence for generalizability.
How we rate confidence
Confidence reflects the strength of the underlying evidence, not whether the result is favorable. It weighs the number and size of studies, their design (randomized trials count for more than observational or single-case work), how consistently they point the same way, and their risk of bias.
Tiers run from Insufficient to High. High is rare in this field: small, early, or open-label studies land lower even when their direction is encouraging.
Evidence by study
Direction is each study's finding relative to your question: Supports, Opposes, No effect, Mixed, or Unclear.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The psychoactive effects of repeated ketamine infusions and their mechanistic role in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial 2026 | secondary analysis of RCT | Mixed | Ketamine's psychoactive effects are consistent across repeated infusions but do not mediate reductions in alcohol consumption. | |
| Ibogaine: Therapeutic Potential, Cardiac Safety, and Translational Perspectives in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders—A Scoping Review 2026 | scoping review | Supports | Ibogaine shows therapeutic potential for substance use disorders but is constrained by cardiac safety concerns and fragmented evidence. | |
| Grayken lessons: a multidisciplinary approach to care for a patient with severe ketamine use disorder. 2026 | case report | 1 | Supports | A multidisciplinary care plan helped a patient significantly reduce ketamine use. |
| Pharmacological interventions for alcohol use disorder: novel insights from recent clinical trials. 2026 | review | Supports | Novel pharmacotherapies including psychedelics and GLP-1 agonists show promise for AUD, but precision medicine approaches are needed. | |
| Review of: "Psilocybin in Alcohol Use Disorder Maintains Abstinence Efficacy: A Scoping Review" 2026 | review | Unclear | A review of psilocybin for AUD raises concerns about accuracy and safety claims in the original scoping review. | |
| [Pharmacological post-acute treatment of alcohol use disorder: Established strategies and innovative approaches]. 2026 | review | Supports | Innovative approaches like cannabidiol, psilocybin, and GLP-1 agonists show promising therapeutic potential for post-acute AUD treatment. |
Ketamine's psychoactive effects are consistent across repeated infusions but do not mediate reductions in alcohol consumption.
secondary analysis of RCT
Ibogaine shows therapeutic potential for substance use disorders but is constrained by cardiac safety concerns and fragmented evidence.
scoping review
A multidisciplinary care plan helped a patient significantly reduce ketamine use.
case report Sample size: 1
Novel pharmacotherapies including psychedelics and GLP-1 agonists show promise for AUD, but precision medicine approaches are needed.
review
A review of psilocybin for AUD raises concerns about accuracy and safety claims in the original scoping review.
review
Innovative approaches like cannabidiol, psilocybin, and GLP-1 agonists show promising therapeutic potential for post-acute AUD treatment.
review
Points of agreement
- Psychedelic compounds (ketamine, ibogaine, psilocybin) are being investigated as potential treatments for substance use disorders.
- There is a recognized need for novel pharmacotherapies beyond existing approved medications.
- Precision medicine approaches are advocated to identify subgroups most likely to benefit.
Conflicts
- Ketamine's psychoactive effects do not mediate alcohol reduction (article 25058), contrasting with the general assumption that psychedelic effects are therapeutic.
- Psilocybin's efficacy for AUD is questioned due to inaccuracies in a scoping review (article 24891), while other reviews (articles 18935, 33287) view it as promising.
Gaps
- Durability of treatment effects is not addressed in the provided studies.
- Sample sizes and specific populations are often not reported, limiting generalizability.
- Safety data, especially for ibogaine's cardiac risks, are insufficiently characterized.
- Blinding and placebo control are not discussed in most studies.